09-07-2025
Kishan, Eatala thank Def Ministry for allocating Rs 303 crore for Cantt devpt
Hyderabad: Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy, and Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender thanked Union Defence Minister Rajanath Singh for approving a budget of Rs 303 crore for development works in Secunderabad Cantonment area.
Kishan Reddy announced on Tuesday that in 2024, the Defence Department transferred the land needed for the elevated corridor from Jubilee Bus Station to Shamirpet to the state government.
In return, it was agreed that the Rs. 303 crore received would be deposited into the Defence Department Consolidated Fund.
However, the board decided to deposit this amount directly into the Cantonment Board account and communicated this decision in a letter. Both Kishan Reddy and Eatala have written to the Union Defence Ministry, with Eatala also raising the issue in Parliament and requesting the construction of a double-decker bridge alongside the Shamirpet elevated corridor, as well as provisions for a metro and a road.
Eatala addressed the media on Tuesday, stating that in response to the Cantonment Board's resolution and the letters sent by Kishan Reddy and himself as an MP, the Defence Department has issued orders to deposit Rs. 303 crore into the board's account. Additionally, a grant of Rs. 11 crore has been allocated.
'With this funding, we have sanctioned Rs. 160 crore for the construction of two stormwater drains: one from Jubilee to Patni and the second through the Rasoolpura bastis. We plan to construct these using the SNDP (Storm Water Drainage Project) model. This will provide a permanent solution to flood inundation issues in the Cantonment and Boinapalli areas,' he said.
Eatala said that Rs 128 crore has been allocated for the development of an underground drainage system. This initiative serves as a response to those questioning what the Central Government has contributed to the Cantonment.
Further, we intend to enhance the Cantonment with parks, roads, underground drainage, and flood canals. The Cantonment is a beautiful area, and the temperature here is usually two degrees lower than in the surrounding regions. Also, efforts are being made to explore the possibility of constructing double-bedroom units within the Cantonment, Eatala said.
He said typically, when the Defence Department transfers land, the funds received are deposited into the Central Defence Department account.
'I would like to extend special thanks to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for allocating funds to the board for the first time and to Union Minister Kishan Reddy for his unwavering support,' he said.
Additionally, we are advocating for the establishment of a Cantonment Governing Body and hope that board elections will be held soon. We plan to raise this issue in the next session of Parliament. CEO Madhukar Nayak, Board Member Narmada Mallikarjuna, and Corporator Deepika participated in the media conference.
